WhatsApp limits forward option to curb COVID-19 misinformation

Popular messaging app, Whatsapp, said in a blog post that it has taken drastic steps to tackle the menace of misinformation, especially on COVID-19 pandemic.

Consequently, WhatsApp has now introduced a limit to forward messages as it can now only be forwarded to one chat at a time – down from the previous five.

The blog post read: “With billions of people unable to see their friends and family in person due to COVID-19, people are relying on WhatsApp more than ever to communicate.

People are talking to doctors, teachers, and isolated loved ones via WhatsApp during this crisis.

That’s why all your messages and calls on WhatsApp are end-to-end encrypted by default to give you a secure place for your most personal conversations.

Last year we introduced users to the concept of messages that have been forwarded many times. These messages are labelled with double arrows to indicate they did not originate from close contact.

In effect, these messages are less personal compared to typical messages sent on WhatsApp. We are now introducing a limit so that these messages can only be forwarded to one chat at a time.

As a private messaging service, we’ve taken several steps over the years to help keep conversations intimate. For example, we previously set limits on forwarded messages to constrain virality, which led to a 25% decrease in message forwards globally at the time.

Is all forwarding bad? Certainly not. We know many users forward helpful information, as well as funny videos, memes, and reflections or prayers they find meaningful. In recent weeks, people have also used WhatsApp to organize public moments of support for frontline health workers.

However, we’ve seen a significant increase in the amount of forwarding which users have told us can feel overwhelming and can contribute to the spread of misinformation.

We believe it’s important to slow the spread of these messages down to keep WhatsApp a place for a personal conversation.

In addition to this change, we are working directly with NGOs and governments, including the World Health Organization and over 20 national health ministries, to help connect people with accurate information.

Together these trusted authorities have sent hundreds of millions of messages directly to people requesting information and advice.

You can learn more about these efforts, as well as how to submit potential myths, hoaxes and rumours to fact-checking organizations, on our Coronavirus Information Hub.

We believe that now more than ever people need to be able to connect privately. Our teams are hard at work to keep WhatsApp running reliably during this unprecedented global crisis.

We’ll continue to listen to your feedback and improve ways for people to share with each other on WhatsApp.”